Welcome to the Influence Podcast!

I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode, I talk to Doug Clay about the state of the Assemblies of God as the New Year begins. Clay is AG general superintendent and author of Conversations with My Younger Self and 13: Leadership Is More Than Luck, both published by Gospel Publishing House.

This past year, the Assemblies of God received favorable notice in political scientist Ryan Burge's popular religious data Substack, Graphs About Religion. One post, titled "The Assemblies of God: A Denomination That May Be Growing," reported that the AG is bucking the trend of denominational decline.

"Almost every major denomination is losing members at an incredibly rapid pace," he writes, with the exception of two small denominations. "But there is a major denomination that was on an upward trajectory for a very long time and stood as an aberration in the larger Protestant landscape: The Assemblies of God. They experienced very consistent growth over the last couple of decades."

Burge focused on steady AG growth over several decades, but in his editorial for the Winter 2026 issue of Influence, Doug Clay notes that the AG experienced growth between 2023–24, the last year for which there is a complete statistical report.

"From 2023–24, adherence rose 2.5%, Spirit baptisms 3.9%, membership 4.1%, in-person attendance 6.2%, conversions 10%, water baptisms 12.1%, and new church charters 33.6%," he writes.

Every year, the President gives a State of the Union Address to Congress. Think of this podcast as an AG State of the Union for 2026.

SHOW NOTES

• 00:00 — Introduction
• 02:08 — Why is the Assemblies of God growing?
• 07:00 — How do we balance church growth with the fact that outward success isn't a reliable measure of the Church's strength?
• 10:16 — The AG in the United States is having a remarkable run, but what can you tell us about what's happening in AG churches around the world that don't share our experience?
• 13:47 — What new ministry initiatives is the AG pursuing this year?
• 20:33 — Update listeners on the progress of the building renovations of the national office.
• 24:10 — What headwinds are the AG facing, and what are the best Spirit-empowered practices for responding to them?
• 30:03 — Based on your recent sabbatical, make the case for ministers scheduling regular times for rest and recovery.
• 33:50 — What are you reading right now that's interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 36:03 — Conclusion